Through their realistic paintings of toys, books and other objects from yesteryear, three award-winning pastel still life artists—Kari Tirrell, David Francis and Kathy Hildebrandt—take viewers on a delightfully detailed visual stroll down memory lane. Child’s play never looked so good.

Learn more about their processes for their detailed still lifes—and see more of their whimsical, yet extremely complex, work—in the February 2016 issue of Pastel Journal. The issue is available in print and as a download, and on newsstands January 5.

KARI TiRRELL:“People often comment that I must have great patience to work like I do,” Tirrell says. “I understand that some of my compositions might be overwhelming to some people—they are to me sometimes, too—but I don’t create them to torture myself. I actually like the challenge. Like everyone else, I only need patience when I’m not enjoying what I’m doing. If you’re not enjoying the process, what’s the point of creating art?”

Christmas Memories (pastel) by Kari Tirrell

Full House (pastel) by Kari Tirrell

DAVID FRANCIS:“A friend of mine gave me a couple of old toys, and I loved the way they looked ‘played with,’ ” Francis says. “That was the seed that started my search for older toys, many from my early years in the 1950s, some of which I remember playing with.”

Mickey Mouse Big Little Book

To the Rescue (pastel) by David Francis

KATHY HILDEBRANDT:“People can look at my paintings and immediately see things exactly how they remembered them,” Hildebrandt says. “I think that instant recognition triggers the emotional response to my work.”